Safeguarding

WE BELIEVE THAT ALL THOSE WHO COME INTO CONTACT WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THEIR EVERYDAY WORK HAVE A DUTY TO SAFEGUARD AND PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN.

At The King Alfred School – an Academy we take safeguarding and child protection issues very seriously and promote the expectation that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Prior to employment, all staff (paid or voluntary) are checked against the Government's Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for their suitability to work with children and young people. Safeguarding forms part of our recruitment process and all interview panels include staff qualified in ‘Safer Recruitment’ and include elements to further test candidates’ suitability to work with children.

On commencement of employment and then annually, staff are also required to complete safeguarding training. Updates on aspects of safeguarding form part of all staff training throughout each year. This training includes an overview of responsibilities and signs and symptoms, as well as advice and guidance about what to do in the event of a concern.

The King Alfred School – an Academy’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy can be found under our Policy section click here.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Child Protection is Mr Richard Walker.

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs) for Child Protection are George Penman and Beks Saunders.

Somerset’s Early Help Strategy

In Somerset, we follow Early Help procedures to ensure children and young people receive support from the service or agency best suited to facilitate this. The school would refer a child or young person, usually via an Early Help Assessment (EHA), to the most appropriate service. This means that additional support for children, young people and their families, whatever their level of need, can be co-ordinated and managed clearly and effectively.

For child protection concerns, the school would liaise with Somerset Direct for further advice and guidance. Should a parent or carer have an immediate concern about the safety or wellbeing of a child, they should call Somerset Direct on 0300 123 2224.

To talk something through with a qualified member of The King Alfred School – an Academy staff, please call the school and ask to speak to Mr Walker, Mr Penman or Miss Saunders.

For further information about Somerset’s Early Help Strategy and the Early Help Assessment, please click here.

Child on Child Abuse

Child on child abuse occurs when a young person is exploited, bullied and/or harmed by their peers who are the same or similar age; everyone directly involved in child on child abuse is under the age of 18. ‘Child-on-child’ abuse can relate to various forms of abuse (not just sexual abuse and exploitation) and crucially it does not capture the fact that the behaviour in question is harmful to the child perpetrator as well as the victim.

Any allegations of child on child abuse will be taken seriously and our protocol will be followed. Click here for Child on Child Protocol.

Key Leads

Schools are required to set designated leads to ensure provision and support is in place for key children.
The following sets out who our leads are:

Support Designated lead
Children Looked After Sarah Johnson
Mental Health Beks Saunders
Young Carers Beks Saunders